These nutty, fruity, and chocolate-drizzled Italian Florentine Cookies are the perfect festive treat. They go great with hot drinks, as a dessert, or as a tasty homemade gift. The sweet mix of nuts and dried fruit, all wrapped in a thin, crunchy layer of sugar, brings a festive feel to family gatherings.
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🗝️ Recipe’s key points
- These chewy, candy-like cookie bars are perfect for sophisticated or casual holiday gatherings.
- The dried fruit, nuts, golden cookie crust, and rich melted chocolate make an irresistible mix of textures and flavors. You’ll keep coming back for more!
- They’re perfect for home-baked gifts during the holidays. You can take them to cookie exchange parties or serve them as a sweet treat at Christmas gatherings.
These classic Italian holiday cookie bars are packed with sweet and tart flavors. They have a chewy texture that any beginner baker can easily make.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Butter – You’ll need butter for the cookie crust and the filling. I use unsalted butter in my baking, but you can use salted butter instead and omit the table salt.
- Egg Yolks – Brought to room temperature for easy mixing. Save the egg whites to make meringue topping for desserts like this Sweet Potato Pie With Marshmallow Meringue.
- Sugar – This recipe calls for packed dark brown sugar for the cookie crust and granulated sugar for the filling.
- Orange Zest – Added to both the crust and filling. The citrus flavor balances the sweet and tart notes in these cookies and is a classic flavor in holiday sweet treats.
- All-Purpose Flour – My go-to sturdy flour for baked treats. Feel free to use gluten-free flour instead, such as almond flour or a gluten-free blend.
- Table Salt – This enhances the flavors in the cookie crust batter. Leave it out if you use salted butter.
- Heavy Cream – Thickens the filling and adds delicious creamy flavor.
- Honey – A natural sweetener and helps to also thicken the filling and bind the nuts and dried fruits together.
- Sliced Almonds – Provides irresistible crunchy texture.
- Dried Cranberries – Tangy and sweet dried cranberries also add chewy texture to these Florentine cookies.
- Dried Tart Cherries – These are noticeably sweet and sour and are the perfect compliment to dried cranberries.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – To melt and drizzle over the baked cookies. It’s an easy way to add a boost of decadence to these holiday cookies!
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Beat two egg yolks and 1 ½ sticks of butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
- Beat for 3-4 minutes or until combined. Add the brown sugar and two teaspoons of orange zest and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the flour and salt. Blend until just combined.
- Spread the cookie crust batter onto a greased and parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookie crust at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until golden. Let the baked crust cool on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.
- Heat six tablespoons of butter, granulated sugar, cream, and honey over medium until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Let it cook for about 5 minutes. It should reach 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the almonds, cranberries, cherries, and 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
- Spread the filling over the cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes.
- Let the baked cookies cool on a rack until chilled enough to cut.
- Remove the cookie bars from the baking sheet by loosening the sides with a bench knife. Peel off the parchment paper.
- Cut the cookie bars into 24 triangles with a large chef’s knife. Drizzle melted chocolate over the cookie bars and allow it to set before serving!
🥫 Storage
Store these Italian Florentine cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. I like to stack the bars between layers of parchment paper to keep the crisp.
I don’t recommend that you store these cookies in the fridge as the condensation will soften the nuts and dried fruit.
To extend the life of these Florentine cookies, store them in the freezer with layers of parchment paper between to prevent them from sticking. They will last for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature and serve chilled.
📚 Variations
- Nuts: Feel free to experiment with hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or even pistachios. Omit the nuts entirely when catering to nut allergies.
- Dried Fruit: Candied orange peels and raisins can be added to the filling for a scrumptious twist.
- Chocolate: I use melted semi-sweet chocolate chips to drizzle over the baked cookies. You could use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips. Pour the melted chocolate over the assembled cookies instead of a drizzle of chocolate – you may need more chocolate for this.
- Gluten-Free: Make gluten-free Florentine cookies with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Always use high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for these cookies for the best flavor. Milk chocolate is a great choice if you like something sweeter. However, the bitterness of dark chocolate pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the cookies.
- Make sure to use a candy thermometer when you heat the filling ingredients. The mixture needs to register 240 degrees F for it to reach the soft-ball stage so that it can set properly.
- Use a fork or a small whisk to drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies.
- Only drizzle the melted chocolate over the baked cookies once they have cooled enough.
🤔 FAQs
Florentine Cookies, also known as Lace Cookies, are delicate, thin, and crispy cookies made with nuts and dried fruit. They are often coated or drizzled with chocolate. They are a traditional Italian treat, especially popular during Christmas.
Despite their name, the origins of Florentine Cookies are debated. Some people link them to Florence, Italy. However, they likely came from French chefs who worked in Italian courts during the Renaissance. Over time, they became a hallmark of Italian holiday baking.
Their unique lacy texture comes from a batter made with nuts, sugar, and butter that spreads and caramelizes as it bakes. Adding chocolate on one side adds a luxurious touch, balancing the nutty, caramelized flavor.
Absolutely! While traditional recipes use almonds or hazelnuts, you can experiment with pecans, walnuts, or even pistachios. You can also swap the dried fruit for candied orange peel, raisins, or chopped dried cherries for a twist.
“Lace Cookies” comes from the delicate, lacy pattern that forms when the cookies are baked. As they spread and bubble, they create a beautiful design.
Yes! Many Florentine recipes don’t include flour, so they are naturally gluten-free. If your recipe does call for flour, swap it with almond flour or a gluten-free blend.
- The Best Italian Christmas Cookies—These pretty cookies, with a creamy glaze and festive sprinkles, are soft, buttery, and anise-flavored. They’re classic Italian cookies you’ll want to try!
- White Chocolate Chip Cookies – There’s no better flavor pairing than chocolate and peppermint! Peppermint oil and crushed candy canes packs a punch of holiday flavor while the sweet white chocolate chips offer pure decadence and comfort!
- Italian Christmas S Cookie – These cute S-shaped Italian cookies will melt in your mouth. You may need to make a double batch this Christmas!
🍽 What to serve with Florentine Cookies
Serve these Italian Florentine cookies alongside other classic holiday cookies for your guests to choose from, such as Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, or Chocolate Drizzled Pistachio Cookies.
Enjoy your Florentine cookies with hot coffee, chai tea, or lattes. They make a sweet holiday snack! You can also add them to a bowl of ice cream for a delightful dessert.
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Mixing bowl – needed for mixing the cookie base
- Dry measuring cups – for the dry ingredients
- Measuring spoons – measuring the orange zest and salt
- Saucepan – cooking the sugar for the caramelized top
- Candy Thermometer – necessary for checking the temperature of the sugar mixture
- Electric Hand Mixer – to mix the ingredients for the cookie base
- Baking tray – used for baking the cookies
- Spatula – offset – to spread the cookie base
- Parchment paper – helps to prevent sticking
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Ecco (there you have it)! This recipe fills your cucina (kitchen) with the warm, inviting smell of toasted nuts and chocolate. It also brings a touch of Italian Christmas history.
These Florentine Cookies are more than just biscotti (cookies). They are a tradition, a memory, and a sweet connection to Italy. My Mamma taught me how to make these; they always remind me of her stories about Christmas in Italy. The holidays were always about family, good food, and good company.
I hope you’ll try this recipe and let it become part of your holiday story, too. Buon Natale and buon appetito, my friend! Let me know how they turn out — I’d love to hear about your Christmas baking adventures.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What’s new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We’ll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make
cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Italian Florentine Cookies: A Nutty, Fruity Christmas Classic
Nutty, fruity, and covered in chocolate, Italian Florentine Cookies are the ultimate festive indulgence.
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Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 190kcal
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter softened (12 Tbsp.)
- 3 egg yolks room temperature
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp. minced orange zest
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. table salt
For the filling:
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries
- 1 Tbsp. minced orange zest
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips melted
Instructions
For the crust:
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Preheat oven to 350°.
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For the crust, beat 1½ sticks of butter and egg yolks in a stand mixer with paddle attachment until combined, ⏰ 3–4 minutes.
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Add brown sugar and 2 tsp. zest; beat until light and fluffy.
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Add flour and salt and blend just until incorporated.
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Coat an 8½×12-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and coat paper with nonstick spray.
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Spread crust onto the prepared baking sheet with an offset spatula.
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Bake crust until golden, about ⏰ 15 minutes; transfer from the oven to a cooling rack.
For the filling:
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For the filling, heat 6 Tbsp. butter, granulated sugar, cream, and honey over medium until sugar dissolves; bring to a boil.
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Cook mixture until it reaches 240° on a candy thermometer, about ⏰ 5 minutes.
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Remove from heat and stir in almonds, cranberries, cherries, and 1 Tbsp. zest.
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Spread filling over crust and bake ⏰ 15 minutes; cool on a rack. Chill bars until ready to cut.
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Remove bars from the baking sheet, loosening sides using a bench knife. Peel off parchment paper.
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Cut bars into 24 triangles using a large chef’s knife.
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Drizzle chocolate over bars.
Notes
The filling should reach the soft-ball stage, which is about 240 degrees. A candy thermometer will help you know when you’ve hit that mark.
Best chocolate for coating or drizzling: Use high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate for the best flavor. If you want a sweet option, milk chocolate works, too, but dark chocolate’s slight bitterness complements the cookies’ sweetness beautifully.
How to store Florentine Cookies: Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. To keep them crisp, place parchment paper between layers. Avoid storing them in the fridge, as they can absorb moisture and lose their crunch.
How to Freeze Florentine Cookies: First, lay the cookies in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. Use parchment paper between layers to stop them from sticking together. They can be stored for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
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